Watch from the Sky
by Nelys the Alchemist
Summary: Old habits can be difficult to break...


**Watch from the Sky**

By Nelys the Alchemist

* * *

The curtain parted without a sound and a dark shadow slid silently into the space. It moved across the floor, footfalls masked by a thick and ornate carpet. Two overstuffed chairs sat regally to face the stage in shades of maroon and sand. He paid no attention other than to move quickly around them. He stopped at the railing, his fingertips just brushing the dark stained oak wood. He stared down at the figures on the stage below and froze as she smiled.

She was smiling _that_ smile. That smile that seemed to hint at some secret joy that you wondered about but never dared to ask. It was a small smile, as genuine as she, accented with a lowering of her lashes before she took a breath and continued to speak.

Even up in the balcony, high and away from the stage and surrounding people, even in that little bit of space that hovered over the rest of the room he could tell her every gesture, knew her every mood.

Heero let his hand rest on that balcony railing as he watched her. The other people on the stage held no value to him, his focus was solely on her. She laughed at something one of the other men on the stage said before shifting slightly in her seat to make a so-so gesture with her hand, much to the delight of the crowd.

He still wasn't sure why she had agreed to do this particular venue. Speeches and meetings were a requirement in her position yes, but to agree to a question and answer session on a college campus seemed like such a waste of her valuable time. When he brought this to her attention she had smiled at him and told him it was something she could do to connect with the people closer to her age. It was a chance to showcase the fact that she WAS a young woman with the same everyday hurdles as most other people.

He had looked at her as if daisies were sprouting from her ears.

Alright, she had amended, maybe not like most people – but it would be fun!

At this he had shook his head and walked off with the layout of the auditorium in hand. He wondered at her mental health, to think it fun to be grilled with inane questions about ones favorite food and how long it took you to get dressed in the morning. But she seemed happy, and that made him happy.

She looked up and knowingly or unknowingly right to his dark and shadowy corner, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she told another story, this one involving a school play and her childhood friends. He felt his shoulders relax slightly as he continued to watch her from his box far and away from everything else.

A quick scan when they arrived earlier that day confirmed to him that the old balconies left over from the Opera house days of the building were intact and beautifully restored. It wasn't necessary to hide in the shadows any longer but it was an excellent vantage point to observe the activity going on below. More than once his trained eye had caught the suspicious glint of the unusual, and at least half of those occasions had resulted in his incapacitating someone with dangerous intent. It was also the best place to watch her without worrying about anyone watching _him_, allowing him space to observe, to see her expressions and gestures as they flitted across her face.

And, he begrudgingly admitted to himself, it was a difficult habit to break.

"This question is from Sandra Dalores, a junior and majoring in physics, and she asks 'What was the most significant event in your life that started you down this road of life?'" The interviewer raised an eyebrow. "Obviously she's going for a minor in philosophy."

His interest peaked at that and Heero tuned fully into the conversation below. He watched Relena laugh along with the crowd before her expression turned thoughtful.

"Well that's certainly a different question." She said. Her fingers drummed slightly on the armrest, a sign that she was giving this question careful consideration. "My most significant…."

He waited, interested to hear which of her many accomplishments she would use. He thought the death of her father would be her most significant, but it certainly was not a happy memory and probably not what she wanted to bring up at this happy event. There was the obvious family connection but Heero had a difficult time tying that experience to the woman before him.

"Oh," Her eyes drifted down and a familiar smile graced her lips. When she looked back up she seemed almost…shy. "Well I have to say the moment that made the biggest impact on my life…well, it happened on the beach."

He narrowed his eyes at the stage. She couldn't possibly….

"It was just a regular day, I was on my way to school with nothing more pressing on my mind then finding my history homework in my backpack."

The crowd chuckled.

"I wound up on the beach instead, randomly and only for a minute. It was the strangest experience at the time and in a moment my life was forever changed."

He cocked his head to the side, still unbelieving that she considered that day so very impactful. While he could understand the significance to _him, _the moment he met someone that truly _cared _about him, he couldn't comprehend the impact to her of that day. Sure, later meetings with her he could reconcile against the significance of the events at the time but that first day…well he was rather embarrassed, not that he would admit it to anyone, at his overreaction. Proper training said he should have disposed of the threat to his identity the moment it was discovered and the only reason he hadn't snapped her neck was at the bewildering realization that she was a _girl_ his same age. And beautiful!

"I was only on the beach for five minutes, and I left absolutely confused," She looked down at her hands, which had become folded in her lap. "I didn't realize until later how it affected me, and not until much later how deeply and greatly an impact it had on my life," at this she looked back up and right at him, though he knew she couldn't see the balcony, and gave that bright smile that made him flinch in its' sincerity. "But I will always cherish it. It helped me down this road I have traveled and provided me the insight and strength to do my best."

The crowd applauded. The interviewer tried to playfully prod her into more details but Heero snorted at the idea that this man thought he would be able to pry anything out of her she didn't want to give. There was laughter as she steadfastly refused him and at that moment Heero felt a tugging at his jacket.

He looked down and froze.

The hand tugging at his jacket pocket retreated once his eyes were on it, to grab back onto the folds of a shiny purple dress. A small child stood beside him. She came up to his belt on her tip-toes and was looking up at him through a tangle of messy brown hair.

"…Oh I'm a pro at putting on makeup in a car, one of best tips I have for when you're flying down the highway…"

The purple dress was satin, small short sleeves with wisps of white trailing down her tiny arms. The skirts were full and went down to her feet, which were not visible, in the same brightly colored fabric. Her lips were set in a line across her naturally pale face and her eyes, the color of the sky on a bright sunny day, were narrowed. She was glaring at him.

"…Well Rebecca asked if you were going to get your degree what majors would interest you?"

She stood close to his side, waiting. Her skirts rustled and she gave a small and practically silent huff.

He blinked.

Relena laughed and he came to himself. Distraction. He had forgotten the mission objective.

The little girl raised her arms up impatiently and he automatically reached down and lifted her up. She dangled for a moment, completely calm and trusting, while Heero took a precautionary step back from the balcony railing.

"Funny? Oh yes, being the only person under thirty no one else knew what he was doing until I…"

He brought her tiny form closer and she reached those small and chubby hands out and wrapped them around his neck. He slipped one arm around the back of her legs and secured the other against her back. After a moment of analysis he took a small step forward, a little closer to the balcony rail, to get a better view of the stage.

"It was wonderful but SUCH a surprise, I thought I just overdid it on the factory tour…"

The audience was enthralled. Relena was smiling and laughing and twirling her necklace around on its' chain, happily recounting the stories she didn't get a chance to share, the personal ones involving friends and family with little to no political overshadowing.

Besides the occasional glance at the interviewer the little girl's eyes were glued to Relena. Too small to understand the questions or the answers she was nevertheless listening intently, sitting quietly in Heero's arms and followed every movement of the woman on the stage.

"I thought we might get that elusive family of yours out here," came the interviewer's next comment, and he peered across first one, then the other side of the stage. "But I don't see them now."

Relena's smile softened at this and she waved her hand over the question.

The little girl relaxed and put her head on Heero's shoulder, eyes still sharply focused on her target below.

"Oh they're here somewhere. Probably found a nice little hidden spot to watch…"

Heero turned his head slightly without removing his gaze from the stage and absentmindedly placed a small kiss on the girl's head among her messy brown curls.

"Doesn't it bother you that they're so camera shy?"

"Not at all," An all-together different happiness seemed to radiate from the political pro and her hand strayed to the locket at her neck once again. "They bring such joy into my life that I couldn't imagine it without them…"

* * *

Relena shook hands with the university president as they stood in what was called the 'grand entrance' among a small crowd of students still milling about. Pictures had been taken and autographs signed, she had even answered a few more questions from some of the braver kids, and still they had not showed up.

Relena wasn't worried of course. She knew that the entire colony could explode and they would be safe… she was just getting anxious to head back to the hotel. She smiled ruefully at the university president.

"I'm sorry, you were saying?" She said politely.

Moments later she spotted them. Heero was walking painfully slow down the stairs, leaning to the right just enough to allow him a secure grip on her hand while his other stayed on the carved oak banister. Her eyes were turned downward as she concentrated, moving one small foot, encased in a shiny white shoe, down to find the next stair before bringing her other foot down to join it.

Relena watched them move down the staircase and laughed, lightly and joyfully. The pace must have been killing him but he showed nothing beyond a patient understanding.

Once on the ground the little girl looked up and around until she found Relena.

"Mama!" She exclaimed, pointing and looking back at Heero to confirm he knew where to go. He glanced and met Relena's gaze before nodding to the little girl and allowing her to lead the way.

Unsteady steps eventually brought them to her and the little girl grabbed onto the pale lilac fabric of Relena's dress. She reached her hands up and Relena whisked her up and into her arms before leaning over slightly to give Heero a welcoming kiss.

"She wanted to come down herself." He said quietly.

"I could see that," She replied, sliding her hand from Heero's arm to ruffle the little girl's hair, "and where did you find to watch mommy this time?"

"Sky," she replied pointing her whole hand up to the ceiling.

"Right wing balcony." Heero clarified.

"They wanted to meet you in your pretty dress, didn't you want to come on the stage with me and say hello?" Relena asked, smoothing down her hair.

She scrunched up her nose slightly and shook her head.

"She wanted to watch you from the 'sky'." Heero said.

The little girl beamed and gave a small nod of her head.

"Oh you're just like Daddy. Daddy loves watching from the sky, doesn't he?" The child in her arms nodded and put her thumb in her mouth. Relena turned towards the exit, a set of heavy doors in the same oak with the same carvings that could be found throughout the place. Heero picked up their traveling gear that sat forgotten on the floor and followed in her wake.

"Daddy has always watched Mommy from the sky and now he has company…"

* * *

Something short and sweet I thought of the other day. hope you liked it! Much love!


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